That Groundhog Day Feeling
by Sam C
Summary: Rip-roaring time-loop action with a gentle, romantic sub-plot J/7 . Yet again, it's up to Seven and Janeway to save the day! But will they both survive?...
1. A Bumpy Ride

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling

"Captain's log, Stardate 52464.3. Seven-of-Nine and I are returning to Voyager aboard the Delta Flyer after a successful survey mission to the unusual system nearby. The T-class nebula surrounding the type 2 pulsar shows promising signs of deuterium and other useful substances. End log."

Janeway turned to her companion, stifling a yawn. It had been a long and – apart from when the first scan of the nebula showed a multitude of goodies badly needed by Voyager – rather unexciting away mission. She was looking forward to a hot bath, a good meal and a long sleep, in that order.

"Are you going to relax a little once we get back, Seven?" asked Janeway, putting her hands behind her head and reclining in her chair as she watched her astrometrics officer with a smile.

Seven-of-Nine shot her captain a pointed look which was entirely expected. "I shall begin the analysis of the astrometric data we collected," she replied, refocusing her attention back on the control panel in front of her.

Janeway studied the younger woman as she piloted the shuttlecraft. The ex-Borg had made huge progress in her struggle to regain the humanity that was snatched away at an early age, forcing the little girl that Seven once was into the life of a mindless, murderous Borg drone before being rescued by Janeway and her crew. Seven still showed traits that had been ingrained and developed during that time, including efficiency and single-mindedness, and Janeway tried often to persuade the younger woman that sometimes she needed to take a break.

"You know, Seven, you should take some time off for once; the scans can wait. Socialise a little, use the holodeck if you like."

"Excellent idea, Captain. A holodeck simulation would allow me to combine the sensor data from several scans simultaneously, and I could use Mr. Kim's assistance - "

Janeway laughed, interrupting the younger woman who gave her that look again, and the captain choked back her amusement. "That's not what I had in mind, Seven. I think it's safe to say Mr. Paris's holoprogram of Sandrine's will be running tonight – why not go along, have a meal, a dance. Half the officers will no doubt be there."

Seven scowled, releasing the controls as she left the shuttlecraft under automatic guidance. She turned to Janeway who met her gaze quizzically.

"Something on your mind, Seven?" asked the older woman, sitting up straight and leaning towards her companion. She had caught the slight change of atmosphere that usually preceded one of Seven's profound and often difficult questions.

"I was wondering if I should try…dating again," Seven finally replied, almost but not quite meeting Janeway's eyes. The captain relaxed; questions about the nature of humanity were one thing, but this one wasn't quite that tough.

"Why not? Just because you had one bad experience doesn't mean you shouldn't try again. Whom do you have in mind?" Though the Captain didn't want to pry, she was curious, and given that Seven's last choice was inadvisable Janeway wanted to steer her friend clear of another certain disaster.

"That is the problem, Captain. My analysis shows that there is a lack of suitable mates aboard Voyager."

Janeway leaned back with a shrug, acknowledging Seven's point. Then, with a sly grin, she turned to the blonde again. "What about the women?" she asked, carefully watching the other woman's expression. It did not alter in the slightest.

"I considered all members of the crew, Captain. The same is true for the females as for the males; they are unsuitable. Many are already attached, a significant number possess ranks that are too low or too high to consider a match, some are too intellectually inferior, and some I have found…disagreeable."

"Ok, I take it back; it sounds like you've done your research. Just wanted to make sure you'd considered all the options. I'll have a think, see if anyone occurs to me." Janeway smiled and looked out of the viewscreen. As her glance idly swept across the stars she noticed a faint glow at the very top of the screen.

"What's that?" she asked, not particularly addressing either her companion or the computer as she pressed buttons to initiate a scan. Seven understood immediately and ordered the computer to run a full sensor sweep. The glow became brighter and suddenly warning beeps began to sound from several stations. The shuttlecraft began to shake, gently at first then wildly, almost throwing the occupants from their seats.

"I am detecting an increase in polaron and chronoton particles, Captain," said Seven calmly, as though she was talking about the weather. A massive jolt impacted the Delta Flyer, sending Janeway tumbling to the floor.

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted Janeway, struggling to right herself. Seven was studying the sensor data as she hung on with one arm.

"An unrecognised wave phenomenon. Shields holding at forty percent."

"Try a graviton burst, might be enough to disrupt whatever it is," ordered Janeway. Seven hit buttons and the computer beeped in response. The turbulence appeared to subside for a moment but then continued as before.

"No effect. Impact in four…three…two…one -"

********************

Seven-of-Nine's eyes blinked open and she awoke to the sight of Voyager's Chief Medical Officer waving a tricorder in front of her face. The Doctor snatched the piece of equipment away quickly as Seven suddenly sat up.

"Ah, welcome back, Seven. Nothing wrong with your motor functions, I see. How are you feeling?"

The former Borg swung her legs down from the bed and took stock. She felt a slight headache but was relieved to find all of her limbs intact and her brain still functioning.

"I feel fine, Doctor. I must return to astrometrics to analyse - "

She caught sight of the Doctor's worried expression and stopped mid-sentence, raising one eyebrow questioningly.

"I think you should remain in sick bay for the time being, Seven. We don't yet know what happened to you, and whatever it was seems to have affected the Captain." He indicated a bed across the room where Janeway lay, unmoving.

"All the more reason for me to analyse the Delta Flyer's scans, Doctor."

Seven stood, appearing more confident than she felt, and strode over to her captain. She reached out a hand and briefly touched the older woman's arm, then turned to the Doctor as he began to speak again.

"As far as I can tell, her brain pattern is slightly out of phase. I could correct it easily with a medical phase resequencer, but without knowing what caused it I'm reluctant to do so. I need more information."

Seven nodded in reply. As she did so, the sick bay doors slid open and Chakotay entered, followed by Tuvok. The worry in Chakotay's face was evident as he was briefly updated by the Doctor.

"Seven, I want you in astrometrics. Torres has downloaded your scans of the nebula and pulsar, see if you can find anything unusual."

"Commander, I believe it would be more useful to analyse data regarding the accident. There were high readings of polaron and chronoton particles in a wave-like phenomenon which caused the events aboard the Delta Flyer."

Chakotay forced a smile. "I agree, Seven, but the sensors were damaged in the accident. All readings immediately prior to the shuttlecraft being damaged have been corrupted. It'll take time for B'Elanna and a team of engineers to sort out. In the meantime, I want you to work with the data we do have."

Inclining her head in acknowledgement, the young woman cast another glance at Janeway's peaceful expression before making her way to astrometrics.

***********************

Three hours had passed since Seven had awoken in sick bay, and she had yet to find anything of any significance in the sensor data they were able to access. Frustrated, she shook her head, trying to clear the niggling pain behind her right eye. After staring at the information displayed on the huge astrometrics screen, she slapped her hand against her commbadge.

"Seven-of-Nine to Lieutenant Torres."

"Torres here, I'm a little busy, Seven. What is it?" The Chief Engineer sounded more than a little harassed.

"Have you made any progress on retrieving the corrupted scans?" asked Seven in her usual blunt tone. The reply was even more testy than usual.

"I told you it would take at least six hours, and that was three hours ago. I'm not a miracle worker!" There was a long pause, then Torres continued more gently. "We're all worried about the Captain, Seven, but we're going as fast as we can. I'll let you know as soon as we recover anything. Torres out."

Seven turned back to the console and slammed her Borg-enhanced fist down in an uncharacteristically emotional gesture. Though she knew she was not responsible for the accident, she felt that she should have been able to do more to prevent what happened. Because she hadn't, the Captain was lying in a coma instead of relaxing in Sandrine's. Seven made a promise to herself that once things were back to normal she would take Janeway's last piece of advice and socialise more; after all, you never knew what was around the corner.

**************************

Neelix was distracted, his mind on the shuttle accident, news of which had rapidly spread throughout the ship. He looked over at a table in the far corner where Seven-of-Nine sat alone, a plate of food and a drink untouched in front of her. All the time Neelix had observed her, the blonde's attention had been focused on several PADDs which she had brought with her. He had considered trying to cheer her up, but since that was usually futile he decided to stay away, well, for now anyway. The furry little Talaxian glanced across again in consternation.

"Well," he muttered, "she hasn't even touched my delicious five-season soup with – AAAARRRRRGGHHHHHHHHH!"

His mutterings were abruptly cut short in a high-pitched scream as the pan he was supposed to be watching caught fire and flames shot up, singeing his eyebrows, whiskers and a good portion of hair. Everyone in the mess hall turned to see Neelix frantically beating at his face with a towel as burning food spat out of the pan in all directions. Two crew members rushed to his aid whilst another contacted sick bay. Seven-of-Nine, who had begun to rise out of her chair, settled down again, satisfied that all was under control, though privately she wondered if that could ever describe any situation that involved Mr. Neelix. She returned to her study of the data yet again.

"Hey, Seven," a little voice piped up by her elbow, startling the Borg somewhat. Naomi Wildman appeared across the table and slid into a chair opposite. "How're you feeling?"

"Naomi Wildman. I am well, however I am extremely busy."

"I heard about the Captain," replied the girl, her expression sad as she looked down at the table. Born aboard Voyager, Naomi regarded all the Voyager crew as family, and Seven's tone softened as she replied.

"We will find a solution, I am certain. Do not worry."

The girl glanced up at her friend, a small smile creeping across her face. "I'm not worried, Seven; I know you'll figure it out. But you should eat," she said insistently, nodding at the soup, "Neelix deserves it after what happened." She laughed, and Seven regarded her, frowning.

"I assume Mr. Neelix is well," said the Borg, and Naomi nodded.

"But he's upset about his whiskers – apparently they will take weeks to grow back. Well, I'll leave you to your work. Bye, Seven."

Naomi rose from the table and gently patted Seven-of-Nine's arm as she walked away. Scooping up the PADDs, Seven also left the mess hall, intending to return to sick bay to enquire about Captain Janeway. It was five hours since she had left the Doctor in sick bay and Seven hoped that he had made some progress whilst she herself had been making none whatsoever.

******************************

Slowly, as her senses began to function again, Seven-of-Nine became aware of her surroundings. Shaking her head to clear the slight dizziness she felt, she slowly opened her eyes and struggled to a sitting position. The Doctor came into view, and he snapped his tricorder shut and helped the Borg to sit up.

"Easy, Seven, don't rush it. How are you feeling?" He asked, peering into her eyes. Her head ached still, but the Doctor had said previously that that was to be expected. She eased herself from the biobed and looked over at Janeway's stationary form.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy I suppose. Is the Captain still unconscious?"

The Doctor nodded. "Whatever it was you encountered, it seems to have affected her more than you. I suggest you rest here awhile, though I know you'll be itching to get back to work."

"I must return to astrometrics," replied Seven, walking off briskly before the Doctor had a chance to reply. She left sick bay and turned down the corridor to a turbolift, which Chakotay and Tuvok exited.

"Seven, are you alright?" asked Chakotay. "I'm not sure you should be working so soon," he added, his face creasing with concern.

"I am fine, Commander, nothing but a dizzy spell. I will be in astrometrics if you need me."

The blonde stepped into the turbolift, and as the doors were closing she caught Chakotay's words to Tuvok: "Same old Seven". She allowed herself a brief smile. Ordering the turbolift to proceed to astrometrics, Seven pressed her commbadge.

"Seven-of-Nine to Torres."

"Torres here," came the reply.

"Have you been able to retrieve any data on the accident yet," demanded Seven brusquely. A sharply exhaled breath was followed by a cutting tone typical of Voyager's Chief Engineer.

"We've only been at it two minutes, Seven, give us a chance! Torres out!"

Seven stared at her commbadge as though it had been the one speaking. Of course the engineering crew had their work cut out repairing the shuttle, but she was entitled to ask. It seemed that everyone's nerves had become more than a little frayed since the Captain was out of commission. Deciding against returning to astrometrics since there was no more information to analyse as yet, Seven diverted to cargo bay two to regenerate. Hopefully Torres would contact her with useful information in the meantime. If not, Seven intended to go to engineering herself to offer her assistance, welcome or otherwise.

*********************

The shortened Borg regeneration cycle that Seven had programmed was uninterrupted, and Seven emerged in an irritated mood. She had fully expected to be contacted by Torres regarding the scans from the shuttle and she strode out of the cargo bay purposefully and headed for engineering. On the way, her thoughts returned to her Captain, the small form laid comatose in sick bay because she, Seven, couldn't prevent the accident. Pausing the turbolift, she leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. She could remember every word of their last conversation, how Janeway had laughed and smiled at her as they talked, and Seven raised a hand to brush away an unexpected tear. Standing straight once more, she headed instead for sick bay.

"Ah, Seven, nothing wrong I hope?"

Seven ignored the holographic doctor and walked over to Janeway's bed. Without turning, she asked the Doctor how the Captain was.

"No change, I'm afraid. Until I know more about the accident, I can't risk waking her. You appear distracted, Seven. Anything I can do?"

"No, thank you Doctor. It's just – I feel… responsible in some ways, for the Captain's condition. If I had perhaps -"

At that moment the sick bay doors opened and two uniformed crew members entered, half-carrying, half-dragging a moaning Neelix. The Doctor immediately went to their aid, helping to deposit the Talaxian onto a biobed and assessing his injuries. Seven-of-Nine watched, startled. Surely the idiot fur ball wasn't intellectually incompetent enough to set fire to himself _twice_? As the doctor expertly wielded a dermal regenerator whilst pacifying the ship's cook, Seven looked on, slowly coming to a realisation.

"My, whiskers, my lovely whiskers," moaned Neelix, rolling around on the bed and waving his arms frantically.

"Hold still, Mr. Neelix," snapped the Doctor, "I can't treat you whilst you are squirming around like a Klingon appetiser."

After several minutes the hologram placed his instrument down with a flourish. "There now, good as new, minus a few whiskers. Everything will be just fine."

Across the room, Seven-of-Nine shook her head slowly, gripping an unconscious Janeway's hand almost unthinkingly.

"I think not, Doctor," she stated. Neelix and the Doctor looked at her in surprise.


	2. Loop the Loop

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling – Chapter 2

**Loop 2**

"Computer, what is the time?" Seven demanded, ignoring the bemused looks from the Doctor and Neelix. She knew the answer before it came, at least approximately. The slightly strange feeling she had had since waking up in sickbay for a second time now made sense.

"The time is 21: 18 hours."

"Seven, what's the matter?" asked the Doctor, whipping out a medical tricorder and starting to scan the former Borg. Seven brushed him away and glanced at the bed where Janeway lay.

"I believe Voyager is caught in a phenomenon, a time-loop of sorts. I was not certain until Mr. Neelix entered, but now I am sure. I witnessed his accident in a previous loop."

Neelix laughed nervously. "But, Seven, it only just happened. I think I would remember if I'd already lost my whiskers once!"

"No," replied Seven, "you wouldn't, if time were repeating itself. I seem to be the only person who remembers it, no doubt because of the accident aboard the Delta Flyer. However…"

Seven approached the Captain and leaned over her, brushing her face lightly with the back of a hand. "Perhaps Captain Janeway would also be aware of this…phenomenon, if she were awake. You must revive her."

"Oh no, Seven, I can't do that. I know we've encountered some odd things in the Delta Quadrant, but a time loop?" The Doctor stepped between Seven and Janeway, easing the Borg away from the biobed. Seven shook him off.

"I do not have time to explain, believe me Doctor. But you must wake Captain Janeway, now!"

"I can't, Seven, you know that. She might have a relapse; I have no way of knowing. Besides, the treatment will take a while. I have to calibrate a resequencer, then -"

"How long?!" Seven almost shouted, stepping so close to the hologram that he took a step backwards. The Doctor shook his head, startled.

"Ten minutes, give or take, but I'm simply not willing to do so. Unless you have evidence that indicates it would be safe?"

"I don't. But it is imperative that I speak with her. The Captain may hold information vital to Voyager's safety. I do not believe she will be harmed, and even if she were, her physical condition would be restored at the start of the next time loop."

"You can't be sure of that," insisted the Doctor, again shepherding the younger woman away from her Captain. Seven met his steadfast gaze and stepped away, inclining her head.

"Then I shall run a test," said Seven-of-Nine calmly. She picked up a laser scalpel from a nearby counter and handed it to the Doctor who regarded her suspiciously. Seven held out her hand, palm-down.

"Make a small incision, on my hand and the Captain's. If we are unmarked when the next time loop begins, I will know that our physical states are restored when the loop restarts, in which case you can wake the Captain without fear. If she were to relapse, how long would it take?"

"I can't be sure exactly, but within an hour. If she is fine for longer than that, I doubt there is any risk."

"And if not, we will not wake her when time loops again." Seven raised her arm and one eyebrow. The Doctor regarded her for a long moment before nodding. Using the scalpel he deftly made a small cut on Seven's hand, then Janeway's.

"I don't like butchering my patients, Seven," he said, turning to face her and placing the scalpel on the side of the biobed. "I hope it's worth it. Now what?"

"Now we wait. It should be only minutes."

***********************

**Loop 3**

The dizziness was back when Seven opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened. When she did, her eyes whipped immediately to the hand which the Doctor had cut. It was unmarked. Shoving the Doctor to one side as he attempted to scan her, she leapt out of bed and hurried over to Janeway. Her hand was also uninjured, and Seven held it gently, closing her eyes and sighing with relief. After a few seconds, she turned, steeling herself for what she knew would be a difficult conversation.

"Seven, are you alright? I insist that you lie down! I will call Commander Chakotay if necessary -"

"He is on his way, Doctor. I need to speak with both of you." The ex-Borg turned to face the sick bay doors expectantly, watched by the Doctor who was still wielding his tricorder. The doors parted and Chakotay and Tuvok walked in. Before either of the men could speak, Seven addressed Chakotay.

"Commander, please listen carefully. Voyager and her crew are experiencing a repeating time-loop that lasts approximately five hours. I appear to be the only person who is aware of this, but I believe Captain Janeway would know also, once she is awoken. I have ascertained that there would be no danger in waking her, as we revert to our previous physical state at the start of each loop."

It was a testament to Chakotay that he didn't waste time questioning Seven's assertion. He knew the former Borg well enough to know that if she said they were in a time-loop then it was undoubtedly true, and most questions could wait until a more appropriate time. He focused his attention on Janeway.

"How do you know you return to the same physical state?" he asked of Seven, frowning.

"In the last loop I had the Doctor make a small cut on my hand and on the Captain's," Seven replied, indicating the areas in question. "As you can see, we are unmarked."

"Very well. Doctor, wake her," ordered Chakotay.

The hologram pursed his lips as though to argue, then nodded, informing Chakotay that it would take a little time to calibrate the equipment. During this time, Seven told the First Officer of everything that had happened during the previous two loops, leaving out her rather insulting observations of Neelix but including a mention of his accident.

"Can these events be altered," asked Tuvok, his usual frown deeper than usual. "Can we prevent Mr. Neelix's unfortunate singeing?"

Seven nodded once. "Of course. This loop is already different from the last. We merely have to warn Mr. Neelix, though in his case it might be wise to remove him from the mess hall entirely," she added pointedly, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Tuvok. Chakotay smiled despite the circumstances. As Voyager's Doctor treated the Captain, three worried faces watched intently. After a short yet agonising wait, Janeway began to stir, opening her eyes slowly and then gripping the Doctor's and Seven's hands as she struggled to sit.

"How long have I been out," asked Janeway groggily, propped up by Seven as the Doctor scanned her from head to toe.

"We're not sure about that, Captain," replied Chakotay, smiling as he stepped up to the biobed.

"It is a short but complicated story, Captain. I suggest that we hold a briefing for the senior officers in one hour," Tuvok added, and Janeway nodded without speaking. Her head was pounding

"I need to analyse these scans in my office, Commander, if that's alright," the Doctor put in, tricorder in hand.

"Of course, Doctor. Seven, I'd like you to stay with the Captain and explain what is happening once she's had a little time to recover. Tuvok, run full sensor diagnostics on Voyager – I want to know if the same thing hit us as hit the Delta Flyer. I'll be in engineering explaining things to B'Elanna, or at least trying to. Temporal mechanics was never my strong subject." Chakotay issued his orders and departed, leaving Seven alone with her Captain.

"All right, Seven, give me the very short, very simple version for now," Janeway murmured, dropping her throbbing head into her hands and causing Seven's arm to slip around her shoulders. It felt warm and comforting and Janeway felt vaguely disappointed when the Borg moved away.

"Voyager is caught in a time loop which repeats approximately every five hours. Up to now I am the only person aware of this, but I believe you will be too. The scans from the Delta Flyer are corrupted, and on a previous loop Lieutenant Torres estimated that it would take six hours to repair the damage."

"Well, we obviously need to cut that time down somehow. What _do_ we know?"

"The shuttlecraft was hit by a wave containing high levels of chronoton and polaron particles. We activated the polaric shielding installed on the Flyer and initiated a graviton burst. I awoke in sick bay, five hours passed, then the time loop restarted and I woke in sick bay again. I established that it would be safe to revive you, and this is now the third time loop."

Janeway's head felt like it was coming off her shoulders, but her quick mind was already working on the problem.

"Get to engineering, help Torres retrieve the scans from the shuttle. Don't worry about repairs, just extract the data. And ask Harry to send out a message to any ships in the area – we might not be alone in this…time loop. Oh, and Seven?" added Janeway, raising her head and meeting the ice blue eyes of the younger woman, "tell the Doctor I need an aspirin!"

**************************

By the time the briefing was started, Janeway felt almost back to normal. Her headache had passed and the Doctor had finally allowed her to leave sick bay, after making her wear a monitoring device with threats of dire consequences if she were to take it off. Sitting at the table in the briefing room, the Captain sipped a scalding cup of coffee and surveyed her senior officers. Time and again they had worked together to beat seemingly impossible odds, to win unwinnable battles, and she was convinced that this time would be no different. On every display panel was a countdown to the end of the time loop, when everything would start all over again. It read three hours and fifty-three minutes.

"Captain, I'd like to start," began Torres, moving over to a display panel on the wall. Nobody stopped her, so the feisty Klingon continued, bringing up a rather crude diagram to illustrate her meagre findings.

"The scans Voyager has sent out have all been 'bounced back' by some kind of subspace barrier. So far, we haven't been able to find out anything more except that it's like nothing we've seen before."

Everyone continued to watch Torres, who shrugged her shoulders. "That's it, Captain, so far."

Janeway was silent as Torres returned to her seat, and quick glances were exchanged around the table. Seven looked at Janeway and shook her head. "The Delta Flyer was badly damaged. As yet we have been unable to retrieve any useful data."

"I only remember measuring the chronoton particle increase, sending out a graviton burst, then waking up in sick bay," Janeway mused, resting her chin in her cupped hands. The group of officers were unusually silent, waiting for more from the Captain. When nothing came, Chakotay cleared his throat.

"I assume that only you and Seven will remember anything we do find out once the time loop begins again, Captain?"

Janeway nodded. "We'll have to remember things the old-fashioned way," she said wryly, glancing at Seven across the table. "In the meantime, gentlemen, carry on. We need information, anything that might help us. Tom, Tuvok, work with an engineering crew on the shuttle, get me that sensor data. B'Elanna, Harry, try enhancing Voyager's sensors; let's find out more about this subspace barrier. Seven, you're with me. I want full reports in three hours. Dismissed."

************************

"What do you make of all this, Seven? After all, you've had longer than anyone to think about it."

Janeway and Seven-of-Nine had spent over two hours in astrometrics, reviewing all sensor data from their away mission before the Delta Flyer was damaged, but they had found nothing more than the former Borg had during the first time loop, which was nothing of relevance. Janeway moved closer to her friend and leaned against a console, stretching her aching limbs. Nothing made sense to Janeway and it was a new experience for the highly intelligent Captain. So far none of her crew had reported any progress, and time was short.

"I am unsure," replied Seven, surprising Janeway. The blonde woman was rarely short of a theory and usually provided an instant solution. "However, the readings we experienced aboard the Flyer showed a sudden emergence of particles in a regular pattern. I believe this is not a natural phenomenon."

Janeway considered her words. "Are you saying that someone _caused_ this to happen? Why? Who would want to cause a time loop that repeats every five hours?" Try as she might, Janeway couldn't imagine any situation where such a thing would be useful. Her head had started to ache again and she badly needed coffee. Moving away from the console, she stumbled and was caught by the strong grip of Seven's arm around her.

"Thanks, Seven. Guess I'm a little tired. Let's go and get a drink, hmm?" Without waiting for an answer, the Captain walked towards the exit, leaving Seven-of-Nine little choice but to follow.

***********************

Janeway and Seven faced each other across a table in the mess hall, a jug of coffee between them. They had discussed ideas, theories, each one more bizarre than the next and though Janeway would never admit it, she felt exhausted.

"Ok, plan of action. Next loop, I want you to work on the shuttle. You've reviewed what Tom and Tuvok have tried already – see if you can come up with a different approach next time. I'm going to work on the sensors – there is something out there and I want to know what it is. I have a few modifications in mind that might just work." Janeway leaned forward, her blue-grey eyes fixed on Seven.

"So," she continued, "thought any more about that date, Seven?" she asked, a crooked, impish smile flashing suddenly across her features.

"I have not thought about the matter, given Voyager's current circumstances," replied Seven stiffly. Janeway laughed and reached out a hand, squeezing the younger woman's arm briefly.

"Life goes on, Seven, for us anyhow. We don't know how many of these time loops we'll have to go through. You could have a practice date, and nobody else would remember a thing!"

The astrometrics officer stared at Janeway. Although it seemed that the Captain must be joking, there was a small part of it that made sense, and Seven began to wonder. "I will...consider it, Captain."

The two women's eyes met yet again, and Janeway felt an odd sensation, as though her breath were caught in her throat. As she spoke to Seven, it had dawned on her that she, and Seven, could do anything at all, and nobody but them would remember.

"AAAAARRRRGHHHH!"

The strangled yelp came from the kitchen, and both women leapt to their feet.

"I apologise, Captain. I neglected to warn Mr. Neelix about his accident. I assure you he will suffer no permanent damage."

Janeway clapped her hand on the taller woman's shoulder, and together they went to Neelix's aid.

****************************

**Loop 4**

Janeway awoke, her consciousness arising slowly from the murky depths. Opening her eyes, she looked into the icy blue gaze of Seven-of-Nine, and awareness came flooding back.

"Here we go again," she muttered, clawing herself into a sitting position and setting an expression of steely determination.

***************************

"Captain, I'd like to start," began Torres, leaving her chair and moving to a display panel. Janeway met Seven's amused glance and smiled.

"By all means, Lieutenant."

"The scans Voyager has sent out have all been 'bounced back' by some kind of subspace barrier. Using the reflected signals as you suggested, Captain, Harry and I were able to map this barrier. It extends approximately twelve light years in all directions around _this_ solar system." A red light flashed on the diagram at the point Torres indicated.

"We haven't been able to get detailed readings yet," interrupted Harry, "but it appears that inside this barrier, in the space where Voyager is now, levels of chronoton particles are increased and arranged in a wave pattern." Blue lines appeared in concentric circles on the display.

"I believe this area is affected by the…time loop, whilst in the surrounding space time is passing normally. However, we can't scan outside the barrier, so your guess is as good as mine," finished Torres.

"Well, at least we know where it's coming from, even if we don't know what IT is yet," remarked Tom Paris laconically, earning him a sharp glance from the Chief Engineer.

"Captain," began Seven, rising from her chair, "the system at the centre of the disturbance is approximately six hours away from our current position at maximum warp. Voyager cannot reach it in the time available in one loop."

Janeway drummed the fingers of her left hand on the table whilst sipping from a cup in her right.

"Any data from the shuttle yet?" she asked, directing the question at Seven-of-Nine, who shook her head.

"No; however, I am confident that we will have more success during the next loop, as we have now established the extent of the sensor damage. It was caused specifically by the chronoton wave in combination with the Delta Flyer's polaric shielding. It will take several hours from the starting point but I will be able to retrieve most of the sensor information regarding the accident."

"Well, that's something. Don't start it now, Seven, there isn't time to finish before the next loop so it would be an…inefficient use of time." Seven raised one eyebrow at Janeway's choice of words, and the Captain grinned briefly in return. "B'Elanna, could you modify the deflector to emit a scanning graviton sweep of the barrier? It might give us more information. Harry, use the astrometrics sensors to scan the system at the centre of the disturbance and send out a hail on all frequencies."

"A hail, Captain?" Harry sounded confused, and Janeway smiled at the junior officer.

"Just a suspicion of mine and Seven's, that we may be dealing with a _who_ rather than a _what_. Full reports in two hours, please. Chakotay, you have the conn. Dismissed."

The officers filed out, chattering amongst themselves, until only Janeway and Seven remained. The younger woman inclined her head and frowned.

"What do you require me to do, Captain," she asked. Janeway stood and moved around the table behind Seven's seat and placed both hands on her friend's shoulders, leaning down so that her lips were almost touching Seven's ear.

"We've been working on this for too long without a break, Seven. You and I are taking some time off," Janeway said softly.


	3. A Date to Remember

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling – Chapter 3

**Loop 4 continued**

Music by Chopin played softly in the background, a delicate piano piece that reminded Janeway of autumn rain splashing in deep puddles. Sandrine's was half-full with off-duty crewmen, many of whom were unaware of the ship's predicament. The Captain had ordered that only senior staff were to be told of the time-loop situation on the advice of Tuvok, who as security chief thought it a "prudent measure". The reasoning was that certain crew members may use the opportunity as a _carte blanche_ to do as they pleased with no fear of repercussion, provided they kept their antics from the Captain herself. As she had already intercepted Tom Paris as he roared through the corridors on an old motorcycle he had replicated, Janeway felt that it was a wise precaution.

Seven-of-Nine and Janeway were seated in a quiet corner of a holographic recreation of the quaint little Marseilles bar. Their meal finished, the two women sat in mutual silence, each deep in thought. Though neither of them knew it, both were thinking of the woman seated opposite.

"Have some wine, Seven. It's an Earth vintage that I've been saving for a special occasion." Janeway poured two glasses, the bottle clinking against the rims, and handed one to the blonde.

"Is this a special occasion, Captain?" asked Seven, watching Janeway as she swirled her glass thoughtfully before taking a delicate sip. Janeway smiled, her eyes appearing grey in the dim light.

"Doesn't matter. The beauty of it is, after this time loop, we can have it again," she replied, raising her glass in a wordless salute. "So, any thoughts on your next…date?" continued the Captain. She had almost said 'victim' but caught herself at the last moment, feeling that the former Borg probably wouldn't have appreciated the intended humour.

"I have reviewed the crew manifest and Starfleet records, with the Doctor's assistance. He…persuaded me that I had discounted some possibilities unnecessarily, for example high-ranking officers. He pointed out that, as I am not a member of Starfleet, there are no official restrictions on my dating any crew member, provided I obtain the Captain's approval."

"So, who've you got in mind?" Janeway enquired with a casual tone, though she felt anything but casual. During the away mission and the ongoing time loop saga she felt that she and Seven had become closer than ever before, spending most of their time together. It was unspoken, but both women felt that it was somehow unfair to socialise with the rest of the crew as they wouldn't remember anything that was said or done. The Captain had enjoyed this time more than she thought she would; Seven's companionship was definitely unique.

"- two possibilities, however both are females." Seven finished her sentence of which Janeway had missed a good portion whilst she had been daydreaming.

"Er, well – is that a problem?" said Janeway hastily, sipping more wine to cover her embarrassment at allowing her thoughts to wander. Few people on board could match Janeway's intellect; few challenged her and none as much as the younger woman in front of her. And very few made her heart jump when they entered a room, made her whole body tingle at the slightest contact. Shaking her head, she refocused on Seven's reply.

"I have observed that many human females prefer mates of the opposite sex. It would be futile to attempt a relationship."

"Most, perhaps, but people stopped thinking so rigidly centuries ago, Seven. Some females only date males, true, but for many people it's not about gender any longer, it's about the person inside. We've come a long way since the twentieth century, Seven."

"Was it unacceptable at that time to feel an attraction for a member of the same sex?" asked Seven curiously, and Janeway was surprised – she had assumed that Seven-of-Nine would already possess full knowledge of Earth's history since the Borg had assimilated numerous Starfleet and Federation vessels.

"Didn't the Borg assimilate this information, from the Enterprise amongst other sources?"

"Affirmative. However, such cultural and historical information is deemed irrelevant and discarded. The Borg require only useful data, mostly regarding technology, in order to attain perfection."

"Ah, of course. Well, then. You're right, but it wasn't only unacceptable, people were executed for it. Then, attitudes began to change, people spoke out and slowly, in many countries equality was established. But not everywhere; some societies refused to change. It was only after the third world war when humanity hit rock bottom that we realised how dangerous it was, how divisive and petty our prejudices were. Then came warp technology and first contact, a planetary society evolved based on fairness and peace, and we've never looked back."

"And what about you, Captain? Do you have a …preference?" Seven asked the question with the most matter-of-fact tone imaginable as only a former Borg could. Janeway looked away, fiddling with the stem of her glass. It was a very personal question, but she felt she owed her companion an answer.

"No, Seven. I'm one of those people I mentioned, the ones who care about what's inside; personality. I've dated my fair share of men and women – it doesn't matter at all to me."

Janeway paused, watching her friend as she considered her Captain's words. The conversation had taken a philosophical turn, and both women were caught in the moment. Seven took a drink of wine, placed her glass down deliberately the raised her eyes to meet Janeway's. It was at that moment that the older woman realised for certain what she had been refusing to acknowledge. She stood slowly and moved around the table, kneeling at the taller woman's side and reaching out to take Seven's warm hand in her own.

Everything else around them became a blur, the crew members, a few officers, the lights and sounds of the holographic bar. All Janeway was aware of was herself and Seven-of-Nine as she leaned forward and with the gentlest of touches kissed Seven on the lips. It was only a matter of seconds, but to Janeway it felt like a lifetime, a wonderful, dizzying eternity that would never end. With a slow, agonising movement the contact was broken, but Janeway remained where she was, oblivious to the now-silent, gawking audience that surrounded them.

"How about we call this our first date?" whispered Janeway. "You have the Captain's approval."

**********************

The door to the Captain's quarters emitted its familiar chirp, startling Janeway from a comfortable sleep in her favourite chair. Hastily she straightened herself and her uniform then retrieved '_The Complete Works of Shakespeare'_ from the floor.

"Come in," she called, knowing who it would be. She wasn't disappointed. "Commander, come on in. What can I do for you?"

Chakotay held up a PADD almost as a shield, and Janeway had to stop herself from chuckling. Her First Officer had turned red and was obviously not looking forward to the conversation he was about to have.

"Reports from all departments as requested, Captain," he announced, thrusting the PADD in Janeway's direction. Janeway took it and nonchalantly began to scroll through the data, making interested noises and pretending not to notice Chakotay clearing his throat no less than three times. Finally she looked up and did her best to keep a straight face.

"Was there something else, Commander?" she asked, her expression a picture of innocence. Chakotay addressed his feet when he answered.

"I, er, Captain, some people saw you with Seven on the holodeck. I wondered if – if you wanted to talk about it." He looked up and met Janeway's amused look.

"Talk about me kissing Seven, you mean? Alright then, let's talk about it. I'm all ears." Janeway leaned forward and cupped her chin in her hands, watching Chakotay as he exhaled slowly and sat down without invitation.

"What's going on, Kathryn? I mean, I know I won't remember any of this, but I thought we were friends, that we shared things. Are you and she…?"

Janeway laughed and rose to her feet. She needed coffee, and there were only a few minutes remaining until the next time loop began and she would wake up in sick bay yet again. She ordered a cup from the replicator and returned to her chair, where she faced Chakotay.

"I'm not sure. We've become…close, that much is certain. I think about her a lot, she's – she's an amazing person, Chakotay, when you get to know her. Warm, funny, so curious about humanity, what it means. I never intended, well, you know, but I got carried away. It's this damn time loop; it's messing with my mind, and presumably Seven's too."

"Kathryn, in a minute I won't remember anthing, but _you_ will, and so will Seven. Promise me you'll take things slowly? You know I'll always be here if you want to talk."

"I promise, and thank you." The Captain stood once more and briefly rested her hand on her friend's broad shoulder. "See you in sick bay."


	4. Best Laid Plans

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling – Chapter 4

**Loop 5**

"Captain, I'd like to start," B'Elanna stated, hopping out of her seat before the sentence was finished. Janeway held up her empty left hand in a restraining gesture. Torres slowly settled back into her seat, looking slightly miffed, and Janeway smiled.

"Not this time, Lieutenant," she chuckled with a dip of her head, causing several auburn locks to fall across her forehead. The Captain was thankful that someone – most likely the Doctor – had attended to her injured hairstyle prior to waking her up, saving Janeway herself from that task every time the loop restarted. Janeway nodded to Seven-of-Nine who rose and approached the display panel, all eyes in the room following.

"The data from the shuttlecraft is extensive, but inconclusive. The shockwave was the result of a temporal field that expanded across a twelve light year radius -"

"Expanded from _where_, Seven?" Tom Paris interjected with a note of irritation. Seven regarded him coolly.

"As I was saying, the field expanded across a twelve light year radius, originating -" she shot Paris a pointed look, "from the star system indicated here." As the officers watched, the display showed a flashing red dot surrounded by an almost-spherical blue region. A tiny yet perfect representation of Voyager sat close to the outermost edge of the temporal field.

"As you can see, Voyager is over ten light years from the centre, and presumably the origin, of the disturbance. Too far to reach in the five hours we have at our disposal." Seven resumed her seat and eyes yet again turned to Captain Janeway.

"Let's say we _could_ get there," hypothesised Torres slowly, "would we be able to stop it?" The question hung in the air unanswered as Seven-of-Nine consulted a PADD in her hand. The Borg eventually looked up.

"I believe so. The field is unusual but I'm certain that if we were to target the field generator with a high-yield chronoton torpedo, it would be destroyed."

Janeway leaned her head on one hand thoughtfully before she spoke, stretching her long fingers up the side of her face. "How would destroying the field affect the time loop we were in?" she asked.

"There are two possibilities, Captain. Either time would continue from that point as normal without looping, or events would proceed as though the shockwave never happened. You and I would return to Voyager aboard the Delta Flyer unharmed."

Paris snorted and slapped the table. "Captain, this is all very nice, but since we can't actually get to the generator, what use is it?!"

"Do you have a solution, Mr. Paris?" inquired Janeway smoothly, raising one eyebrow at her helmsman.

"Well, no, but -"

"Captain, I've been thinking," interjected Chakotay, his first contribution to the discussion. "Why would time loop to the point when you wake up in sick bay?"

"What do you mean?" Janeway asked, turning to the First Officer and wincing as a sharp pain shot through her neck up to her temple. She waved off the concerned glances from around the room.

"Well, I'm no expert at temporal mechanics, but wouldn't it make more sense if the time loop started at the point when the field was established?"

As the Captain thought it over, Harry Kim stood and paced behind the chairs on his side of the briefing room table. "Of course! But nobody would know about it. Think about it – nobody who was on Voyager is aware of these time loops, and the Captain and Seven were unconscious on the Delta Flyer. What if time DOES loop back to when the shockwave hit the shuttle, and we just can't sense it?"

"Harry's right," said B'Elanna, moving over to the display and tapping buttons. "In theory, that should be the start of each loop. So the shuttle accident, Voyager's rescue of the Flyer two hours later, the hour Seven is unconscious in sick bay _all happen again_ every time loop." A little picture of the Delta Flyer appeared on the display, between Voyager and the centre of the temporal field.

"How does that help us?" asked Tom, looking round the room. Torres answered excitedly.

"The shuttlecraft is five hours distant from the system where the field is being generated, and the actual length of the time loop is approximately eight hours. If the Doctor and Seven could somehow figure out a way to wake her up whilst she is still aboard the Delta Flyer -"

"We could get to the planet and destroy the field generator. One problem," the Captain held up a finger, "the Flyer isn't equipped with chronoton torpedoes."

"I believe I could…improvise one from components on board, Captain," Seven replied, raising one eyebrow and almost smirking at Janeway, who had to suppress a grin.

"Let's get to it. Tom, calculate a flight path for the Flyer. Harry, run detailed scans of the area, make sure we won't run into anything unexpected. Chakotay, you have the conn. Dismissed!"

The crew scurried off, followed by Janeway and Seven-of-Nine who walked more slowly to sick bay. Janeway stopped and turned to face the blonde Borg, placing a hand on her arm.

"You know, Seven, if we succeed there's a chance that none of these time loops will exist once we destroy the temporal field."

"I am aware of that, Captain. However, it is also possible as I stated previously that time will continue as normal from that point forwards. We have no way of knowing."

The women's eyes met briefly, and impulsively Janeway pulled her friend into a rough embrace. On tiptoes, with her chin nestled into Seven's fine, blonde hair, the Captain held on tightly.

"I hope we don't lose this, Seven," she whispered. Janeway could feel the warmth of the younger woman's body against her own as the long arms snaked around her waist.

"As do I," replied Seven softly, returning the Captain's hug.

****************************

"I don't know what you expect me to do, Captain. I'm a doctor, not a time-traveller! I could revive Seven as soon as she comes on board sick bay, an hour earlier than when she wakes naturally, but since there will be nobody to tell me to do so that simply won't happen." The Doctor was irritated, and it showed.

"We need Seven to awaken on the shuttlecraft, just after she is knocked out. Would that be dangerous?"

"No, I don't believe so. Seven is merely unconscious; there is no significant damage. But I fail to see how you can achieve that without someone there to administer a stimulant."

Janeway drummed her fingers on the side of an empty biobed, letting her arm drape over the top as she walked slowly around sick bay. She snapped her fingers suddenly, and the Doctor turned to face his Captain with a world-weary expression.

"Is there a way to wake her _without_ using a chemical stimulant?"

"Certainly, there are any number of ways to revive -"

"Can any of them be…administered by my temporal node?" Seven-of-Nine interrupted, causing both the Doctor and Janeway to look at her in surprise. Seven continued in explanation. "A Borg temporal node is immune to changes in the timeline. The Borg use them to record these changes so that they can chart their progress in assimilation during temporal attacks, among other things. Though I am not aware of it, my temporal node stores information from previous time loops as though it were a continuous, unbroken passage of time."

"If we could somehow fix the node to wake Seven on the shuttlecraft…yes, that's it!"

The Doctor wore a dubious expression, but there was a gleam in his eye. He picked up a medical instrument and began fiddling with it. "Seven's temporal node can be programmed emit a low-level electrical shock. I believe this would be sufficient to stimulate her brain pattern and revive her. Shall I begin the modifications? They will take less than an hour."

Janeway glanced at the time loop countdown on a nearby display. It read 1:32. "Affirmative. Let me know when you're done." She strode to the door, only to be stopped by the Doctor's voice halfway.

"I will also instruct Seven on how to treat you. I'm certain that a modified phase inducer will do the trick, now that we know there's no permanent damage. I have a feeling this mission will require both of you."

Janeway smiled and left the room. "I couldn't agree more," she muttered under her breath.

*****************

Janeway walked into the shuttle bay, where a team of engineers swarmed over the battered Delta Flyer. Catching sight of her chief engineer, the Captain headed for the shuttle's stern.

"B'Elanna," she called, beckoning to the grease-smeared Klingon who immediately approached Janeway, bellowing orders over her shoulder.

"Has the Doctor come up with a solution?" she asked, wiping her hands on her trousers hastily. Janeway nodded.

"That's taken care of. Now we just need to get the shuttle to fly. How badly is she damaged?"

Torres grinned and led the Captain towards a control panel, bringing up a schematic. "She'll fly, Captain. Sensors and most secondary systems are shot, but her engines, weapons and life support are fine. You'll be able to repair short-range sensors so that you can target the field generator, but you'll have to navigate by sight until you get close."

"I think I'll let Seven handle that," laughed Janeway. "Anything else I should know?"

Torres pushed buttons on the console, bringing up a display similar to that which they had all seen in the briefing room. The blue area was shaded in differing degrees, darker towards the centre fading to almost invisible at the outer edge.

"Harry mapped the temporal field in more detail. Its strength distribution is uniform, but take a look at the phase variance. It increases towards the centre, and we've extrapolated that it reaches a maximum of 0.76 at the field generator."

"What does that mean?" asked the Captain. Torres shrugged.

"Probably nothing, Captain. It shouldn't affect the shuttle's systems, probably just a side effect of the generator's power output signature. Nothing to worry about."

Janeway patted B'Elanna on the shoulder. "Good work, Lieutenant. Now, why don't you and your crew take a break?" She left Torres looking somewhat bemused and headed for the mess hall for a welcome cup of coffee.

********************

She had only taken one sip of delicious hot, black coffee when her comm badge beeped. Sighing, she answered the Doctor's hail.

"Janeway here."

"All set here, Captain."

"Thank you, Doctor. Tell Seven to meet B'Elanna in the shuttle bay for a last look at the Flyer's sensor repairs. Janeway out."

She sat back and sighed, stretching her neck and arms. It had felt like a very long day, and privately she was becoming heartily sick of reliving the same five hours over and over again. Even though each loop was very different from the previous one, they all started the same way – she awoke in sick bay and had to sit through Seven's explanation of what was happening. Janeway smiled at the thought. Each time Seven was more brusque, and Chakotay's response less believing. If they weren't successful, she would have to have a word with the former Borg about that, or they would spend an uncomfortable loop in the brig as impostors or lunatics. Sipping from her metallic mug, Janeway closed her eyes.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHH!"

The shriek woke Janeway from her doze, her head snapping upright instantly, then sagging as she realised what had happened. Every loop, with all attention focused on solving the time loop problem, not one person remembered to warn Neelix of his accident. Shaking off the tiredness, Janeway went over to help, resolving that if they were to experience another loop aboard Voyager she would make it less traumatic for the poor Talaxian.


	5. Captain's Orders

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling – Chapter 5

**Loop 6**

Seven-of-Nine drifted slowly back into consciousness, her thoughts gradually gaining cohesion as her memory surfaced from the grey haze. Forcing her heavy eyelids open she struggled upright in her seat at the _Delta Flyer's_ helm. It was several moments before the dizziness passed enough for her to stand and survey the surroundings. Different warning beeps sounded from around the control panels and the interior lights were dimmed, indicating that the shuttlecraft was running on auxiliary power. To her left, on the floor and pushed tight against a bulkhead, lay the inert form of Captain Janeway.

The young Borg pushed past debris that littered the deck and crouched down beside her superior officer, feeling for the pulse she knew would be there. It was weak but steady, and as Seven bent to lift the older woman and carry her to the aft compartment she could feel Janeway's warm breath on her neck. Gently, she laid Janeway on a bed, averting her eyes from her injuries. The Doctor had informed her that he had repaired Janeway's cuts and bruises before Seven had awoken and assured her that they were not life-threatening, but the gash above the Captain's eye was bleeding profusely and a purple-black bruise was blossoming on one pale cheek. Quickly, Seven retrieved a phase resequencer and completed the modifications necessary to enable her to treat Janeway's brain injury as per the Doctor's instructions. That done, the former drone turned her attention to the shuttlecraft and began working to bring main power online.

"Seven?" Janeway's voice called weakly over the comm system, almost an hour later. Relief washing over her, Seven quickly strode aft to find her friend sitting groggily on the bed. "I assume the plan worked," Janeway said, attempting a joking tone but with her voice betraying the pain she felt. Holding out an arm, she grasped Seven's hand and heaved herself to her feet. "Status?" she demanded, forcing herself to function normally.

"Main power is online and repairs to the short-range sensors will be completed in approximately one hour, Captain. How are you feeling?"

Janeway followed Seven into the main section, surveying the shuttlecraft's systems as she went. They had escaped lightly, she thought, and the damage was mainly cosmetic aside from the sensors and some secondary and non-essential systems. "I'll live," replied Janeway. "Let's get underway. I'll take the helm; you get the short-range sensors back online then start working on that chronoton torpedo." She moved to the pilot's seat and sat down heavily. After staring blankly out of the viewscreen for a moment, Janeway turned to Seven with a rueful look.

"Where do I point us?" she asked, gesturing out of the window. She could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smile on the Borg's lips before the customary expression was re-established. Seven walked over and stood next to Janeway, bending so that their heads were on the same level. They were separated by no more than a couple of inches, and Janeway felt her heart rate rising with the young woman's proximity. Seven extended her arm and pointed towards a group of stars off to starboard.

"Do you see the isosceles triangle with the red giant at its apex?"

Janeway squinted, trying to clear up her still slightly fuzzy vision. "Got it," she replied.

"That red giant is our destination. You will have to drop out of warp speed periodically to check our heading," Seven instructed. Janeway smiled.

"All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer her by," she quoted wistfully. Like all Starfleet captains, she had not forgotten their long-distant seafaring cousins and the great hardships suffered by explorers of old.

"The Delta Flyer is neither tall nor a ship, Captain," retorted Seven-of-Nine pointedly, causing Janeway's smile to widen into a crooked grin.

"It's a quotation, Seven. I believe it was one of James Kirk's favourites," she added, turning her head and catching her friend's eye. Briefly, so briefly that Janeway wasn't entirely sure it happened, the younger woman rested her hand lightly on the Captain's shoulder before turning away and disappearing into the engineering section. Janeway adjusted the Flyer's heading and increased speed.

********************

The shuttle was a mere two hours from its destination and Seven was finishing the crudely-fashioned chronoton torpedo when her comm badge beeped, disrupting her concentration.

"Seven, can you come up here for a moment?" Janeway asked, sounding strangely disoriented. Seven tapped her badge.

"On my way."

Janeway lay slumped forward over the helm, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. The Borg ran to her and propped her up in the chair, looking into Janeway's unfocused, grey-blue eyes.

"What is wrong, Captain?" demanded Seven, detecting an irregular heartbeat and extremely high temperature and becoming suddenly very worried. This was not in the plan. "All stop!" barked Seven at the computer, and the hum of the engines died away. Janeway lolled sideways, only staying upright because of Seven's arm clamped around her. Seven grasped her cheeks roughly, forcing the Captain to look at her.

"Don't know….don't feel....well," Janeway gasped. "Dizzy, head…..aaargh, head – hurts…so much -" Her words cut off in a low moan that struck ice-cold fear into Seven's heart. In one swift movement she lifted the Captain and carefully carried her once again to the bed in the aft section, placing her down and grabbing a medical tricorder from a med kit. She scanned Janeway quickly, but she could see that the older woman's condition was deteriorating rapidly, and Seven was no substitute for the Doctor. Janeway was silent now having drifted into a comatose state, and frantically Seven programmed a hypospray, injecting a stimulant.

"Captain, wake up!" she commanded, almost shaking the prone form by the shoulders. "Cortical stimulator," she muttered, whirling round and scrabbling in the med kit. Desperate now, Seven slammed the device onto Janeway's forehead and sent a charge through the Captain's brain. The body jerked, then was still.

"No, this cannot happen. Captain!" she shouted, now sobbing openly, "Captain, can you hear me?" The tricorder beeped once then ceased, and Seven threw it onto the floor where it clattered against a bulkhead. Tears streaming down her cheeks, the former Borg clung to Janeway's body, unable and unwilling to leave her side. For the next two hours, Seven-of-Nine mourned the loss of her Captain, her friend.

********************

**Loop 7**

"Ah, welcome back, Seven. How are you feeling?" The Doctor's chirpy tone cut through the fog clouding Seven's mind and she sat upright quickly, assisted by the hologram who flipped his tricorder shut and smiled benignly. Seven shoved the Doctor roughly aside and sprang from the bed, ignoring his protests as she ran over to a biobed on the opposite side of sickbay. A form lay under a blanket, long auburn hair cascading around the face, and with a cry of relief Seven hugged the unconscious Captain.

"Seven, what on Earth are you doing?" the Doctor almost yelped, grabbing the Borg by the arm and pulling her away. "Captain Janeway is unwell; I would appreciate it if she were not disturbed. Apparently, whatever affected you proved to be worse for the Captain."

Seven was barely listening. Once the time had come for the next loop, the temporal field still intact, the time loop had begun again. Without another adjustment to her temporal node, she had awoken in sickbay as she had done previously. She shook her head, berating herself inwardly. She had known that would happen, yet instead of running analyses that could have provided information she allowed herself to become incapacitated at Janeway's temporary demise. She was still ruing her actions when sick bay doors slid open, through which entered Chakotay and Tuvok, and Seven breathed out slowly, preparing herself for yet another time loop.

**********************

"Captain Janeway _died_?" exclaimed Paris, standing suddenly and banging his fists on the table.

"How could you let that happen, Seven?!" Harry Kim demanded, casting an accusing look across the table. He wasn't the only one thinking the same way, judging by the expressions around the briefing room. Janeway held up a placatory hand.

"Now, now, gentlemen. None of us knew what would happen. It was an unknown risk, and it certainly wasn't Seven's fault. Do we know what happened, Doctor?"

With the Captain' s soothing tone possessing a threatening edge, Paris sat down, still glaring at the Borg who returned his glare with a cool assurance. The Doctor clasped his hands together in front of him, his expression serious.

"I believe so, Captain. You are aware of the increasing phase variance of the temporal field towards the field's origin?" Janeway nodded, and the Chief Medical Officer continued. "I'm afraid that, once a certain threshold was reached, this triggered a severe relapse in your condition, causing your brain patterns to align themselves to this phase variance."

"Can it be treated, either now or on the shuttlecraft?" asked Chakotay, frowning. The Doctor shook his head solemnly.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. If the Captain approaches the centre of the field, this will happen again. I would need to scan her as this is happening, which is clearly impossible because of this damned infernal time loop!"

The last words were shouted and Janeway quickly moved to where the Doctor sat bolt upright in a briefing room chair. She fondly touched his shoulder, her other hand resting on Seven-of-Nine's arm.

"What about an atmospheric suit, Captain? Seven could drop you off whilst she continues on to destroy the field generator, then pick you up on the way back," suggested Paris, turning to Seven to seek her opinion, his earlier outburst forgotten.

"An atmospheric suit cannot sustain the Captain for the required length of time, even if modified to carry an increased oxygen supply," stated the blonde woman matter-of-factly.

"There must be some way of doing this!" said Torres, looking round the table. All of Voyager's senior officers sat quietly, the ideas dried up. The Doctor regarded his hands, feeling utterly useless. Paris clenched his fists, wishing he could take part in the action. Kim appeared withdrawn whilst Seven-of-Nine's expression was even more impassive than usual. Only Janeway seemed unflustered, in control, and Torres felt a pang of admiration for this intelligent, resourceful woman she was proud to call Captain.

Janeway resumed her seat slowly and looked around, her gaze settling on each person in turn. She loved them all like family, and to utter the words she was about to speak took all her courage.

"There is a way," she began softly, waving off interruptions which were imminent from several of the assembled crew. "The plan stands. Once the generator is destroyed, it is entirely possible that it will be as though none of this ever happened. If not, Voyager will continue towards the alpha quadrant without me. We've come through too much to be stuck here reliving eight hours over and over whilst the rest of the universe carries on without us. The Doctor will reprogram Seven's temporal node, she will revive me and we will proceed as planned. When my condition recurs, Seven will continue on to the source of the temporal field and destroy the generator." Janeway finished and sat patiently, waiting for the onslaught.

"I will not comply."

"Captain, you'll die!"

"No way, Captain."

"This is an illogical course of action."

"Voyager needs her Captain!"

"Over my dead body!"

The expected protests came all at once, and Janeway refrained from speaking until everything had been said. Then, she came to her feet. "Objections noted. My orders stand. Dismissed."

"But, Captain -!" Kim wailed, also rising from his chair. Janeway cut him off with a look.

"Dismissed, Ensign!"

As the officers walked out, muttering mutinously, Janeway sank down into her chair and rested her head in her hands, wisps of dark red hair poking out through her slender fingers. So this was it. Her life has been reduced to little more than a gamble. She had always known that somehow temporal physics would get the better of her, and the thought made her smile despite the situation. She had given orders she never, ever wanted to have to give; she knew that if she did in fact die then her crew would never really get over it, always wondering if there had been another solution, if only they'd waited. Knowing them, she wouldn't put it past them to fiddle with the disintegrated remains of the damned temporal field generator and start the whole saga all over again. Janeway sighed, her eyes closed, taking the moment alone to rest. At least, she thought she was alone.

"Captain," murmured a voice by her right ear, causing Janeway to stir, startled. She felt hands on her shoulders, massaging her aching muscles then moving forward around her neck, and she looked up. Seven-of-Nine drew the Captain into a warm embrace; Janeway's head nestled under the younger woman's chin. She relaxed and allowed herself to let go of the protocols and regulations that dogged her waking life, and instead hugged Seven tightly, blinking away the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. The two women stayed that way for several minutes, enjoying their newfound closeness and drawing strength from each other. When they parted, two pairs of eyes met, forming a connection that each would remember for the rest of their lives, however long or short that time may be.

"I do not wish to do this, Captain," said Seven softly, her pale blue eyes shining brightly.

"I know, Seven. It's the only way," choked Janeway, grasping Seven's shoulders. She paused for a moment, then stood up again, pulling Seven with her. "Come on. Let's relax a little – we've got a few hours before the next loop starts." The two left the briefing room and entered the bridge. Chakotay looked up from the Captain's chair where he sat, surrounded by Voyager's senior officers.

"Commander, Seven and I will be in my quarters. It's been a long day. Unless we run into a fleet of Borg cubes or a wormhole leading to Reg Barclay's living room, I don't want to be disturbed."

"Understood," replied Chakotay. He exchanged looks with Paris and Torres and seemed to want to say more, but decided against it and turned back to look at the small computer panel in the arm of the chair. Janeway and Seven made their way into the turbolift and headed for the Captain's quarters, leaving behind them a helpless, bewildered and utterly distraught crew.

*************************

Janeway sat on one end of her couch, sipping her vintage wine yet again. Seven-of-Nine perched on the other end rigidly, unable as usual to sit and relax. She was pensive, understandably, and Janeway's eyes softened as she watched the emotions come and go in her friend's expression. She had no doubt that the younger woman would follow her orders, but she was unsure how much of a toll it would take on the former Borg. The same goes for all the others, though in a way they weren't really involved, being unaware of the time loop. It would affect Seven most of all, Janeway was sure, and she just hoped that she would in time be able to forgive herself with the support and friendship of the Voyager crew. The hardest part would be for Seven to explain all that had happened on her return to Voyager, for from the crew's perspective she would simply have returned from their initial away mission with Janeway's corpse on board. After running these thoughts through her head for the hundredth time, Janeway could stand it no longer.

"Computer, dim lights by seventy percent. Play music, Beethoven's piano sonatas, slow movements only."

As the music started Janeway placed her glass down on a table and did the same with Seven's, removing it from her unresisting hand. She took the taller woman's hands in her own and pulled her gently to her feet and towards Janeway, placing Seven's hands around her neck and wrapping her own arms around Seven's slender waist. The Borg's head rested on Janeway's shoulder and the Captain could hear her companion's quiet, muffled sobs as hot tears slid down the front of her uniform.

"Shhh," murmured Janeway, holding the distressed young woman tighter so that she could feel Seven's heart beat against her shoulder. After a while, Seven stopped trembling and lifted her head slightly, slipping her hands lower down the Captain's back and tracing circles through the material of Janeway's jacket and undershirt. The mood had changed from desolation to desire, and both women felt the subtle alteration in atmosphere. Janeway was the first to respond.

"You know, whatever happens, we won't remember this," she whispered, placing a light kiss on Seven's cheek.

"I am aware of that, Captain. I do not believe that is a valid reason for us not to continue."

"I'm glad you feel that way," chuckled Janeway softly before pulling the Borg towards her and kissing her again, this time passionately on the lips. Breaking away, she took Seven's arm and led her into the bedroom.


	6. To be, or not to be?

This is a work of fiction. Characters belong to Paramount. This story contains a romantic relationship between female characters. If you don't like it, don't read it! I would welcome any reviews/comments. Enjoy!

That Groundhog Day Feeling – Chapter 6

**Loop 7 continued**

Janeway's pale features stood out against her silky auburn mane and the dark-coloured pillows. Seven watched as her chest gently rose and fell with the rhythm of her breathing, the Captain's expression peaceful and content as she slept. Tenderly the younger woman smoothed the hair from Janeway's face, but she did not stir. The muffled beep of a comm badge intruded on the intensely private moment.

"Doctor to Seven-of-Nine."

Seven carefully climbed out of the bed and retrieved her comm badge from the pile of clothing on the floor. Carrying it with her along with her blue biosuit, she left the bedroom and entered the sitting room, closing the door behind her, oblivious to the fact that she was walking naked around the Captain's quarters.

"Go ahead, Doctor."

"I need you in sick bay to program your temporal node. Chakotay has something planned for 21:00 hours and we don't want to be late."

"Acknowledged. I will be there shortly."

The former Borg quickly washed, dressed and fixed her hair in its customary style as quietly as possible, reluctant to disturb Janeway even though she would most likely be the star guest at whatever it was Chakotay had planned and would probably be awoken shortly anyway. In truth, Seven's emotions were in turmoil and she was glad of the excuse to escape. They would be alone again soon enough on the _Delta Flyer_.

Whilst Seven was in sick bay, Janeway slept on. Flashes of recent events came and went, but with no pattern or coherence that could be called a dream. Not unexpectedly, it was her comm badge that roused her. She tried to ignore it, burrowing her face in a pillow, but her First Officer was insistent.

"Captain, please respond."

Janeway rolled over and, fishing her uniform jacket from the floor, located the shining gold and silver device.

"I said I didn't want to be disturbed, Commander. I believe I was _very_ precise in my instructions," replied Janeway, struggling into her trousers and grey t-shirt. Her tone was waspish but the words were said with a smile. There was a pause on the other end before Chakotay spoke again.

"What if I said you're needed in the mess hall? Reg Barclay just poisoned the Borg Queen with an undercooked targ chilli."

Janeway couldn't help but laugh. "On my way, Commander," she answered, about to finish the transmission when she was stopped by Chakotay.

"Ah, Captain, you might want to dress up a little. Chakotay out."

The Captain shook her head and began pulling off the rumpled uniform she had managed to put on. What is appropriate to wear to one's own wake, she mused, picturing several selections. A long, elegant cocktail dress? _That _white tuxedo? Comfortable slacks and a plain blouse? Crossing the room, she took out a pristine Captain's dress uniform and ran her hand over it fondly. There really was no other choice.

***********************

As Janeway entered the room full of Voyager's senior crew, a silence descended that was almost tangible. As she walked across the room and passed each man or woman in turn, they stood to attention. Except for Neelix and Seven-of-Nine, every one wore a Starfleet dress uniform complete with any medals, commendations and honours they had received during their service. Reds, blues and yellows mixed together in the Starfleet rainbow as everyone in the room faced their Captain. It was customary to announce the Captain's presence at an important function, and Tuvok, Voyager's Security Chief and Janeway's oldest friend, did so, a crack in his voice betraying the emotions bubbling beneath his Vulcan veneer of calm.

"All rise for the Captain." The instruction was completely unnecessary, but Janeway nodded once in acknowledgement. She continued to walk through the group of Voyager's crew, her eyes not settling on any one of them as she made for the single raised platform in the corner of the mess hall. The tables had been moved aside to clear a large space. Tasteful silver and red decorations adorned the room and trays of food and drink were dotted around, as yet untouched. Janeway stepped onto the platform and turned to face her Voyager family. Her expression set in a steely mask of authority, determination and courage, Captain Kathryn Janeway began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming on what must have been extremely short notice. I hope you're not missing out on anything important." A ripple of subdued laughter ran around the room. "I never expected to give this speech, and I'm sure none of you ever expected to hear it, so I'll keep it brief. If – and it is most definitely an 'if' – if I do not return from this mission, it will be with the knowledge that Voyager _will_ get home. She has the strongest shields, the fastest engines of her class. She has the deadliest weapons, the most powerful computer in the fleet. But most of all, she has the finest crew ever to serve aboard a Starfleet vessel.

"Each and every one of you can feel proud, stand tall, for I know you have given the most you can, over and above the call of duty, time and time again. Let the record show that I, Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager, would recommend that every crew member receive a commendation for bravery and valour, and that there is no group of people with whom I would rather serve."

The silence stretched, five seconds, ten, then from somewhere at the rear of the room a solitary pair of hands began to clap. The dam broke and applause spread throughout the gathering; raucous, wild applause accompanied by shouts and whistles that seemed to last for hours. There was not a dry eye in the room as Janeway stepped to one side to make way for her First Officer who held up his hand in a request for silence once again.

"I can't follow that," he said, "and I don't think I should, except to propose a toast." He held up a flute of champagne, and there was a period of frantic confusion as everyone scrabbled for a glass. When it was settled, he raised his glass again.

"To the finest Captain a crew could wish for. Captain Janeway."

"CAPTAIN JANEWAY!" The words rang out in a chorus, and Janeway could only stand, mute. Her eye caught Seven-of-Nine's, who raised her eyebrow and raised her own glass in a final, private salute.

********************

**Loop 8**

Janeway sat at the helm of the _Delta Flyer_, constantly monitoring their speed and course. She heard a noise behind her as Seven-of-Nine emerged from the aft section and proceeded to take the seat beside her. Janeway glanced across.

"Is the torpedo ready?" she asked softly, watching the Borg's expression in profile as she stared fixedly forward through the viewscreen at the red giant star ahead.

"Yes, Captain."

Janeway nodded. "All stop," she ordered, and the shuttlecraft slowed, her engine noise decreasing to a faint hum as the little vessel came to a halt. The Captain turned in her seat.

"This is where things start to get a little hairy. You have the conn."

"Acknowledged," Seven replied, not moving. Janeway edged closer so that their bodies were touching and placed an arm around the younger woman's shoulder.

"The Doctor suggested that I sedate you, to make this…less traumatic for both of us," Seven told her Captain, whose arm tightened around the taller woman.

"Thanks, Seven, but I'd rather -" her voice choked off and she paused, struggling to regain her composure. "I want to be awake," she finished, leaning into her friend's warm, slender figure. Seven nodded tightly, then began to enter the commands that would continue the shuttle's journey and with it end the Captain's life. She had considered not following orders, simply turning back or just waiting for the next time loop to begin again, to give them another chance to find a way out, but Janeway had been insistent.

The Flyer began to move once again. Seven held the older woman in her arms as she began to gasp for breath, her heart racing as she moaned and whimpered with pain. Tears coursed down the Borg's pale cheeks as the shuttle ploughed through space and Captain Janeway struggled valiantly as her life ebbed away. Cradling the warm body in her strong arms, Seven flew on to her destination. Two hours later, the temporal field generator was finally in range.

"Computer, arm chronoton torpedo and target these coordinates," Seven ordered, entering the information into the computer which beeped in response.

"Torpedo armed."

With her free arm, the Borg inserted a device into the console in front of her. "Computer, download file Seven-of-Nine alpha".

"Download complete."

Seven took the device and held it up to her cortical implant, pressing a button and waiting until a tiny light ceased its flashing. She discarded the device and returned both arms to their former position around Janeway's body, holding it close and resting the Captain's head against her shoulder.

"I love you, Captain," she whispered softly, before closing her eyes. "Fire torpedo."

********************************

**Loop Zero**

"I considered all members of the crew, Captain. The same is true for the females as for the males; they are unsuitable. Many are already attached, a significant number possess ranks that are too low or too high to consider a match, some are too intellectually inferior, and some I have found…disagreeable."

"Ok, I take it back; it sounds like you've done your research. Just wanted to make sure you'd considered all the options. I'll have a think, see if anyone occurs to me." Janeway smiled and looked out of the viewscreen. As she did so, she felt the strangest sensation pass over her, leaving her nerves tingling and alarm bells ringing in her sharp mind.

"Did you feel something?" demanded Janeway, starting a scan of the surrounding area. Seven-of-Nine replied that she had felt nothing, but her startled expression betrayed her. Janeway knew her friend too well.

"There's nothing on scans. What is it, Seven?"

The blonde woman was silent, frustrating Janeway who turned in her chair and opened her mouth to demand an answer, but Seven beat her to it.

"Captain, would it be a contravention of the Temporal Prime Directive to reveal events that occurred in an alternate timeline?"

Janeway sighed and held her head in her hands. She was tired, dirty and hungry, and a temporal paradox was the last thing she needed. Wearily she mustered up a Captain-like face and sat up again in her chair, meeting Seven's cool, enquiring look.

"To the letter of the law, yes, it would. There are more clauses in that damn thing than the whole of the Federation Constitution. However, let's just say there are ways to get around it. Spill the beans, Seven."

The younger woman raised an eyebrow. "Beans, Captain?"

"Just tell me what's going on!"

"The time is not appropriate. I suggest we meet for dinner in your quarters and discuss the matter then."

"Fine, ok. Now let's get back to Voyager, hmm?"

The two women flew in companionable silence after a few more attempts by Janeway to extract information from Seven-of-Nine. Together, they returned to Voyager. The Captain was looking forward to an enjoyable evening, and enjoyable it was, though not in the way she had imagined…

THE END.

Author's Note

I enjoyed writing this story very much (except for Janeway's speech which made me cry!) and I hope you enjoyed reading it. If you have any comments or feedback please review and/or send me a message. If you like the story, please read my other work on this website.

Thank you.


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